Casinos and other forms of gaming comprise a growing multi-billion dollar industry both domestically and abroad, with electronic and microprocessor based gaming machines being more popular than ever. In a typical electronic gaming machine, such as a slot machine, video poker machine, video keno machine or the like, a game play is initiated through a player wager of money or credit, whereupon the gaming machine determines a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and then potentially dispenses an award of some type, including a monetary award, depending upon the game outcome. Many additional gaming machine components, features and programs have been made possible in recent years through this proliferation of electronic gaming machines, including those involving linked progressive jackpots, player tracking and loyalty points programs, and various forms of cashless gaming, among other items. Many of these added components, features and programs can involve the implementation of various back-end and/or networked systems, including more hardware and software elements, as is generally known.
Electronic and microprocessor based gaming machines themselves can include various hardware and software components to provide a wide variety of game types and game playing capabilities, with such hardware and software components being generally well known in the art. A typical electronic gaming machine will have a central processing unit (“CPU”) or master gaming controller (“MGC”) that controls various combinations of hardware and software devices and components that encourage game play, allow a player to play a game on the gaming machine and control payouts and other awards. Software components can include, for example, boot and initialization routines, various game play programs and subroutines, credit and payout routines, image and audio generation programs, various component modules and a random number generator, among others. Hardware devices and peripherals can include, for example, bill validators, coin acceptors, card readers, keypads, buttons, levers, touch screens, coin hoppers, player tracking units and the like. In addition, each gaming machine can have various audio and visual display components that can include, for example, speakers, display panels, belly and top glasses, exterior cabinet artwork, lights, and top box dioramas, as well as any number of video displays of various types to show game play and other assorted information, with such video display types including, for example, a cathode ray tube (“CRT”), a liquid crystal display (“LCD”), a light emitting diode (“LED”), a flat panel display and a plasma display, among others.
Another hardware device common to gaming machines is the candle, which is typically located atop the gaming machine in the form of a small cylinder, usually having a plurality of luminous sections of varying colors. Many gaming jurisdictions require each gaming machine to have some form of candle on top of it. Many gaming jurisdictions also dictate the number of lights, their various colors and meanings, the light patterns and the flash rate of the various colors, among other specifics. Although typically in the form of a cylinder placed atop the gaming machine, it will be readily appreciated that other forms of and locations for candles also exist and may be developed, and it will be understood that any device providing a function of a conventional candle may also be considered a candle for purposes of the present disclosure. Such additional forms can include a wide variety of other shapes and sizes, several illustrative examples for which are provided below. Other locations can include virtually any place on or about a gaming machine. Some alternative examples might even include one or more bezels about any display or other gaming machine feature, as well as one or more bolsters running along any edge or other gaming machine feature.
In general though, candles are usually placed atop gaming machines, such that they can be seen from all or most all directions, whereby security cameras and floor personnel can more readily view them. Virtually all candles are used at least for the purpose of visual communications from a gaming machine to security, change people, service technicians, and/or other casino or gaming floor personnel. Examples of uses for candle communications can include a particular color of light that comes on when a coin hopper needs refilling, when a player needs change, when a jackpot is hit, or when a gaming machine door has been opened. For example, a particular candle might include a white section that becomes illuminated when service has been requested by a player at that gaming machine, a yellow section that lights up when a jackpot has been hit at the associated gaming machine, and a red section that becomes illuminated when a breach in security at the gaming machine has been detected, such as a main door being open. Of course, other combinations, colors and uses are also possible, as will be readily appreciated.
In addition to visual communications, another form of communication that can transpire with the use of gaming machine candles is that of radio signals or other wireless communications, such as between a candle and a wireless casino system. An antenna can be provided within the candle for this purpose, with this being a favorable location due to the typical prominence of the candle atop the gaming machine. The gaming machine can then communicate with a system server or computer through the candle of the gaming machine and an access point of the wireless system. Various details and examples of such a candle antenna and wireless gaming system are disclosed in, for example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,506 by Hoorn, et al., entitled “Candle Antenna” (“Hoorn”), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes.
Presently, the transceiver for a candle antenna and radio system is placed inside the gaming machine, usually in the main cabinet. For example, a transceiver that is typically used in conjunction with the candle antenna of Hoorn is disposed within a transceiver box inside the main cabinet measuring 9.5 inches long by 5 inches wide by 2.5 inches deep. A lengthy coaxial cable is then run through the machine to connect the transceiver to the antenna inside the candle atop the machine. As will be readily appreciated, the use of a coaxial cable tends to result in power losses, which attenuate the radio frequency signal between the antenna and the transceiver. Such power losses and the resulting attenuation of the radio signal tend to increase with the increased length of the cable. The cost of using such cables can also be an issue, as a coaxial cable and any coaxial connectors that are thereby required can be relatively expensive.
Another drawback under the present setup involves the difficulty in repairing, updating or replacing an antenna and transceiver. Presently, the main door of the gaming machine must usually be opened to access the transceiver, which can be time consuming and inconvenient. Where the transceiver might be installed in a top box or other such location, even more intrusive methods of access might be necessary. In addition, where any rewiring needs to take place, access to some or all wiring locations from the candle to the transceiver can be even more time consuming and inconvenient.
Furthermore, wireless communications using candle antennae and their associated transceivers within gaming machines have been relatively limited to date. Established systems and protocols only permit transmissions to and from one or more access points in a wireless system, with communications ultimately being received and processed only at a system computer or server. Such limited applications tend to result in an inflexible system, however, with many locations in a casino or other gaming establishment being summarily prevented from accessing the wireless system due to the infeasibility of providing an infinite number of system access points. For example, while it may be possible for a gaming operator to place a number of gaming machines along a lengthy and twisted corridor, such as between a casino floor and a bank of hotel elevators, it is simply not practical to provide the necessary several wireless access points along that corridor to serve the relatively few machines there.
While existing systems and methods for providing communications in candles, gaming machines and gaming systems have been adequate in the past, improvements are usually welcomed and encouraged. In light of the foregoing, it is desirable to develop systems and methods that can provide the same or even better wireless communication capabilities in candles in a more efficient manner and for less cost, and in particular for such methods and systems to permit more flexibility in wireless communications, such that a greater number of locations are available to place gaming machines utilizing wireless communications with candles.